How do we buy books? We find those authors we have counted on in the past and we get their latest book. We see names of authors we heard someone else talk of, and we buy that book. It is all about name recognition. It is about staying in the mind of the readers.
Editors and agents love this concept of name recognition. This is not so much an issue of simply increasing sales, this is also a matter of having that author's name in their head all of the time. When new projects come around, or an opening in the line up shows up, it is that author, who has been in their mind, that will get that opportunity.
So, how do you keep yourself in their heads? Let them know what you are doing. Share your latest ideas. Get proposals and ideas to them on a regular basis. I know you might be working on a project right now, but keep the agent and editor posted on your progress. Simply disappearing into a hole until the book is finished is keeping you off of the radar.
I have had several authors who had some great projects but then disappeared into the woodwork. The last I heard of them was that they were working on a new project...and then they disappeared. Did they finish that project? Who knows?
I should note, I am not the only agent who has seen this. I talked to an author recently who told me that he really needed to finish his latest book. His agent was not able to sell his first book and it has been over a year since he sent him something. I really did not have it in my heart to tell him that the odds are, that agent has already given up on him.
If you want to make it in this business, keep people in the loop of what you are doing. Keep those books flowing. Keep the ideas moving. Keep your name in play at all times.
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